The Seductress
by UzumakiNaru
Summary: InuKag, MirSan. Our favorite gang's lives are turned upside down because of a demon named Yuuwakusha, a seductress. Bad summary, but good story. I found this online, I did NOT write it. PLEASE REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

Naraku crouched down and urged a large oni into the mouth of the cave. He waited patiently and didn't react when the sounds of struggle and pain issued forth. He hummed, his interest piqued and smirked from under his disguise. Naraku walked in front of the opening and entered the cave. Inside, the walls were covered with shimmering slime, illuminated by magical, iridescent lanterns which lined the path. In the rear of the cavern, on bedding of satin and silk rested an incredibly beautiful, yet obviously inhuman woman. She smiled and beckoned to the hanyou. Naraku approached, gritting his teeth and staggering.

"You cannot resist me," she hissed. "I am Yuuwakusha the seductress and you are powerless to fight my charms."

"Maybe so," Naraku whispered. "But I am also not what you are looking for."

The succubus raised a brow and allowed him to stop. She shifted her weight, revealing her blue-dappled, reptilian skin. "Oh? Is that so? Then you must know that you're my next meal."

"And not much of one at that. You're going to need a thousand more youkai before you are strong enough to transform."

Naraku was beginning to aggravate the immortal. She leaned forward and frowned. "All right, thou who is so well informed, I assume that next you will tell me where to find a thousand youkai in order for me to spare your life?"

"I could do that." Naraku smiled. "But I'll do even better. I'll bring you a being perfect for your transformation."

Yuuwakusha leaned back. "And what good will that do me without the strength to transform?"

"His comrades carry a large shard of the Shikon no Tama."

The seductress smiled. "I see."

"They will be passing by this area very soon. All you need to do is what you do best."

She raised a brow again. "Just what do you have against this individual, anyway?"

"That is my business. Here," Naraku raised a hand and they could hear a dozen youkai swarming outside the edge of the cave. "Take this gift as testament to my word."

Yuuwakusha's eyes gleamed. She began to sway in her seated position. The demons flooded in past Naraku and sat obediently at her feet. "The one you seek is called Inuyasha and he will be here tomorrow night."

"How can you be certain?"

"I will make it so."

The succubus nodded and motioned one of the youkai forward. Her teeth grew into long, vicious fangs and her nails into hideous claws. Horns sprouted form her head of auburn hair. Her skin flashed dark blue and the pale blue spots became bony spikes. "I don't know what this Inuyasha did to you, but if he's not the right one..." she hissed with a forked tong. The hapless youkai crawled towards her, oblivious to the grotesque. "He's lunch."

A large snake demon crashed through a house as it rampaged through a village. Kagome, Shippou and Miroku ran out of the way. Sango flew up, riding on Kirara and threw her boomerang. The snake was severed in half, but continued to flail, spurred on by the power of a Shikon shard.

"It's in the top half!" Kagome cried. Sango caught her weapon and made for a second attack. The youkai's tail snapped at Kirara, dismounting Sango. She landed on her hands and feet and looked to her friends. The snake's head was charging towards them. Miroku prepared his void, but Kagome stepped in front of him, pulling her bow taught.

The arrow snagged the shard, dislodging it. Both halves of the snake turned to dust. Inuyasha picked up the shard and walked to his friends.

"Good job, guys."

Kagome frowned. "You were no help!"  
"You didn't need my help!" he scoffed and dropped the shard into her hands as he walked past.

Kagome blinked. 'Was that a compliment?' She shook her head. "Well, it's late. We should make camp."

It was a warm night. Kagome drifted off to sleep easily, staring at the large collection of shards around her neck. She smiled and thought that maybe there weren't that many more to collect. Inuyasha watched Kagome for a while before he was satisfied that she was sleeping. He walked off a bit, hopped up into a comfy tree and fell asleep. A short while later he woke and looked around blearily for the disturbance. He saw movement and looked down. Kagome was standing at the base of the tree, waving for him to come down. Inuyasha made a confused face, but liked the way she was smiling at him, so he dropped down and followed where she lead him. The hanyou entered the cave, following Kagome who motioned every time he hesitated. She sat down at the back of the cave on a bed of satin and silk and beckoned to him. He sat next to her, his head full of stars. Inuyasha looked out through half-closed eyes and tried to wake up. 'Oh well,' he thought. 'It's just a dream... a really, really good dream.' She laced her hand under his shirt, leaned forward and kissed him, passionately. Inuyasha's heart fluttered, but he knew this wasn't real. He couldn't smell her.

Kagome woke alarmed to feel a hand groping her chest. She cried out and slapped the pervert hard across the face. He pulled away and ran off into the night. Sango and Shippou came to her aid instantly.

"What happened!? Are you all right, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome suppressed the slew of curses that formed on her tong. "That.. etchi... monk!"

"What!?"

"Miroku just felt me up!"

Sango turned purple with rage. "Where is he!?"

"He ran off when I hit him. He better run!" Kagome folded her arms and pouted.

"Ah! Kagome!" Shippou pointed to the young woman's chest. "The Shikon shards!"

"What!?!" Kagome looked down, astounded. The shards were gone.

"Why did he steal them!?"

"I have no idea!"

Shippou ran to the edge of the campsite. "And where's Inuyasha?"

"Yeah, he'd have buried Miroku by now." Sango looked around in the darkness.

"Probably wandered off. I'll go find him. You guys go after Miroku before the trail gets cold."

Sango and Shippou ran into the woods in the direction Kagome pointed to.

"Inuyasha!" she called out. "Where are you, Inuyasha? Why did he disappear right when we need him?" she grumbled. "He's usually so reliable..." She rounded a smallish, rocky hill and stopped dead. Coming out of the mouth of a cave in the hill were the pained cries of a young man. "Is that...?" Kagome listened, her stomach turning with anxiety. "Is that Inuyasha?!" A million thoughts rushed through her mind, and believing him in danger, she rushed into the cave. Kagome would never have imagined the sight she now saw. His eyes were closed. His back was arched. His hair was mussed and sweaty and sitting in his lap, facing him, contorting with passion was what appeared to her to be a shapely, blue-skinned youkai. Kagome froze, horrified, shocked, and heart-broken. "Inuyasha..." she whispered. "How could you..." He didn't hear her. He didn't open his eyes. He moaned with the release. Kagome tore herself away from the scene and ran off into the night, her tears streaking down her face. Inuyasha clutched his lover and panted. It was over. Yuuwakusha had what she needed. She got off of him and dressed.

"Thank you, Inuyasha. You've been most helpful."

Still under her heavy trance, he sat on his legs and caught his breath.

Yuuwakusha bent over and kissed him, hard on the mouth. "Now I must meet the monk, and my destiny!" She took to the air and flew out of the cave in a cloud of purple mist. Inuyasha blinked and ran a hand through his damp hair. His head slowly cleared and he became fully aware of what had happened to him. He reached for his clothes and slowly put them on. For a while, he sat very still and hung his head. He had been raped. How could he ever hold his head up again? He growled at this weak thinking and finally left the cave. It was still night. 'Well,' he thought. 'At least Kagome will never know.' Kagome sat by the fire and hugged her knees. She watched the dying embers pulse in the breeze. Her eyes unfocused and tears spilled out again. She wiped her face with her sleeve and tried to compose herself. Maybe she had been sleep walking. Maybe she was asleep right now and she'd wake up with the dawn to find Inuyasha watching protectively over her. She sniffed again and stood up.

"Kagome.. where is everyone?"

"Inuyasha!" she cried, alarmed and tried not to face him. "They went looking for Miroku."

"Oh, where'd he go?"

"If we knew would we be looking for him?!"

He made a face. "Well you're not looking very hard. He's probably off chasing women."

"He stole the Shikon shards."

"WHAT!?" Inuyasha grabbed her by the shoulders. "Why didn't you say so! Let's go!" He threw her up on his back and charged off into the forest. Kagome hung on tightly and wished for nothing more than to be miles away from him.


	2. Chapter 2

Last Time:

"WHAT!?" Inuyasha grabbed her by the shoulders. "Why didn't you say so! Let's go!" He threw her up on his back and charged off into the forest. Kagome hung on tightly and wished for nothing more than to be miles away from him.

Miroku sat in the high branches of a tree. A small swarm of wasps buzzed in close by.

"Ah, there you are, Sweet Monk." Yuuwakusha's silvery voice lilted through the forest. Obediently he extended his hand and let the pieces of the jewel fall into her waiting palm. She smiled and kissed him. He lost consciousness and fell out of the tree about thirty feet to the ground, landing flat on his back. Yuuwakusha giggled happily and flew away, the wasps trailing her at just a short distance. She raised her hand and a green vapor surrounded the insects. "No no no," she scolded. "You're out of the picture now, Naraku. You're debt to me is paid." She herself vaporized and vanished. Naraku stood up from his shrubby hiding place. "Oh, you have it wrong, I'm afraid," he said to the air. "It is YOU who now owe ME."

Inuyasha and Kagome found Sango and Shippou only moments after they found Miroku. Sango propped his head up in her lap and stroked his forehead.

"Houshi-sama? Are you all right?"

She didn't need a reply, his hand roved to her rear-end. Sango slapped him and jumped back. Shippou laughed.

"I guess that's a yes!"

Inuyasha didn't wait for him to speak either. "Where's the god damned Tama?!"

"Huh?" He blinked and rubbed his reddening cheek.

"Don't be cute! You heard me!"

"Yes, I did, but what would I be doing with the Shikon no Tama?"

Kagome knelt down beside him. "You don't remember stealing it from me?"

"What!? I did no such thing, Kagome-sama!"

"Yeah right," Shippou folded his little arms. "She caught you grabbin' her boobs and everything!"

"Well, that sounds like me, but I swear I did not steal it. At least, I do not recall stealing it..."

Inuyasha made a face. "Kagome, can you see it?"

The young Miko looked around, but shook her head glumly. "Maybe, I can FEEL it..." She closed her eyes. "Yes, it's nearby. It might be moving though."

Inuyasha frowned. "Point the way."

Kirara transformed into her full size and the others mounted her.

"Do you think this is Naraku's doing?" Sango asked no one in particular.

"No. It's someone else," Inuyasha replied and sprinted off where Kagome indicated.

"It's in there." Kagome slid down off Kirara and pointed to the mouth of a large cave. They all hesitated for a moment before entering. It was just before dawn. "Inuyasha, do you know something we don't?" she asked, boldly.

"No. Just a hunch is all." He was the first to enter. Miroku used Kagome's matches to light a torch and they cautiously walked in.

At the back of the cave, hanging from the walls and ceiling was an enormous, yellowish cocoon. Inuyasha cracked his knuckles. "Is it in there?"

"Yes."

He took an aggressive step forward.

"Wait," Kagome commanded in a very serious tone. "If you slash at this thing without thinking you could damage the Tama."

"It's already damaged, who cares?"

"Are you forgetting what happened the last time it was damaged!? Do you really want the shards flying all over the island again?"

Inuyasha sneered. "Are you forgetting that was your fault?"

"No, but at least I learned from my mistake!"

Shippou looked up at Sango and Miroku. "What's going on?"  
"Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side..." Miroku commented under his breath.

"Looks like someone was GROPED AWAKE..." Sango hissed. Miroku laughed sheepishly. She stepped forward. "Kagome-chan is right. We can't risk damaging the Tama."

"So what the fuck do we do!?"

"Wait." Kagome folded her arms. "That's a cocoon, right? It's bound to hatch soon, especially with the Tama's help."

"But we don't know WHAT'll hatch!!"

"I'm sure whatever it is, you can defeat it and rescue the shards." Kagome turned her back on him.

Inuyasha's jaw hung loosely. 'What the fuck is up her ass!?'

"Kagome-chan, would you come out side with me for a while?" Sango asked, threading her arm through hers.

"Um, sure." Kagome sighed and left the men to wonder.

The girls sat down and watched the sky lighten. Sango didn't even have to ask. Kagome told her what was bothering her: what she had seen and what she thought about it.

"I mean... It's not like we're a couple or anything, but I just feel so..."

"Betrayed?" Sango helped.

"Sort of... I almost feel that, maybe he just likes youkai better. I mean, at least, in that way. Not that I want to... you know..." she sobbed.

"I know." Sango hugged her. "Here's a tip, from an older perspective. Men are idiots."

She laughed a bit at this and almost got a chance to feel better when Miroku and Shippou's cries to come back had them up and running. As she turned, Kagome caught a glimpse of red fabric in the early morning light. He had been within earshot. Inuyasha knew. Her heart snapped again, but she had to run. The cocoon was hatching.

Miroku held his shakujou out and Shippou hid behind him. The cocoon glowed. Inuyasha pushed past Kagome and Sango and stretched his arms out.

"Everyone stay back!" He growled and narrowed his eyes at the brightening light. A low hum emanated from the pod. 'As soon as I see her fucking face, she's dead!' he thought and prepared himself.

"Shouldn't we be running away!?" Shippou asked, clutching the monk's robes tightly.

"If for some reason, this is my fault for taking the Shikon no Tama, then I cannot run." Shippou looked worriedly up at Miroku.

The suspended cocoon split. Light poured from the cracks. A form dropped from its protective casing to the dirty ground and the light faded away. Their eyes took a moment to adjust to the meager torch light. The figure moaned a little and sat up.

Inuyasha made to lunge forward, but stopped and stared, slack-jawed at the being.

She ran a hand through her damp, long, white hair. Her ears flicked away some of the embryonic fluid. She looked up at him and moved her hands to cover her ample breasts.

"Inu-Tou-chan?" she asked, innocently.


	3. Chapter 3

Last Time:

She ran a hand through her damp, long, white hair. Her ears flicked away some of the embryonic fluid. She looked up at him and moved her hands to cover her ample breasts.

"Inu-Tou-chan?" she asked, innocently.

"WHAT!?!" he cried. "What the hell do you mean, 'Doggy-daddy'!?"

She cocked her head to the side and smiled. "I guess you don't recognize me."

Sango gripped Kagome's arm. "She looks just like..."

"Inuyasha..." Kagome finished, completely astounded.

Shippou puzzled. "Whoa! Inuyasha had a kid?!"

"NO I DIDN'T! Listen, whoever the fuck you are, what've you done with the Shikon no Tama!?"

His daughter stood. Under her was the large shard Miroku had stolen the night before. "Shit," she cursed. "I guess I don't have a choice..." She picked it up and to everyone's surprise walked to Kagome and presented it to her. "Here, Miko. You'll have to cleanse this I'm afraid."

Shippou, still clutching Miroku's robes leaned towards her. "You're just gonna give it back!? Why'd you take it in the first place!?"

She smiled pleasantly. "I needed it to transform. But since Inuyasha here isn't evil, neither am I. I can't morally keep the thing, much as it would make me incredibly powerful." She turned to Miroku and Inuyasha. "I'm sorry I had to use you boys like that, but you see, I'm a succubus. It's what I do!" She flashed them another happy smile.

"A succubus!?" Kagome cried. "You mean, you seduced them!?"

"Uh huh!" she chimed. "But I've gotten what I need, so I won't do it again, promise! Besides, Inuyasha is my father now!" She turned to Miroku. "Sorry, Sweet Monk." The hanyou-succubus waited for a response. Miroku was silent.

"Oh no! She's got him under her spell!" Shippou cried.

"Um, no. I think we just need to get her some clothes..." Sango muttered, her face turning purple. Miroku's eyes bulged several inches out of their sockets at the curvaceous, nude hanyou.

"GET HER SOME CLOTHES!?" Inuyasha screamed. "She's an evil, scheming, fucking slut!!"

Kagome bit her tongue and the urge to agree with him.

The new-born's eyes watered. "I'm sorry, Tou-chan... All I wanted was a new form. I'd been in that cave for the last three hundred years! Just luring youkai and eating them in order to stay alive! I needed this sort of form; almost human to adapt to the times, but without it's weaknesses. And when you came along... and that marvelous little jewel of yours, I knew the time was right." Tears rolled down her face. "You're upset with me?"

'Shit.' Inuyasha cursed inwardly. He looked to his friends. Kagome met his eyes for a moment, then looked away. She wasn't on his side, he was sure. Even if she understood why... he had hurt her. Sango took a spare shirt out of her bag and helped the girl dress, enabling Miroku to speak.

"I don't quite understand how you can be Inuyasha's daughter, but I do believe there has been a misunderstanding, and that no one should hold that against you."

She smiled again. "Thank you!"

They filed slowly out of the cave. The sun had just risen. The young woman-newborn stretched her arms and made a happy-growly sort of noise. Inuyasha stood at the mouth of the cave with his arms folded and watched.

"Introductions are in order, I think," Miroku broke the silence. "I am Miroku, a humble monk. This is Shippou, a fox youkai, Sango, the youkai exterminator, Kagome, the Miko from the future, and you know Inuyasha."

"Wow," She blinked at them. "Hi! I'm... Well, my last form was called Yuuwakusha. I don't have a name." She pouted.

Kagome put the Shikon no Tama back around her neck and looked around at the group. She noted Inuyasha's distance. She looked from him to his 'daughter' a few times and made up her mind. "Your name is Houseki."

The girl blinked again. "Jewel?" she asked and smiled. "I like it! Thank you Mirai no Miko!"

"Hey! Now that we have two Inuyashas we should be able to get all the shards together real soon!" Shippou cheered.

"Oi! I AM INUYASHA! SHE IS A FRAUD!" he yelled from his sulking place.

"I am Houseki. And I'm probably not as strong as Tou-chan, but I'll help in any way I can!"

They gathered their things and started off into the East. Kagome lingered for a moment when she noticed Inuyasha was still leaning against the mouth of the cave. She turned her head, but could not bring herself to look at him.

'Great. Just Great.' he thought. 'I can't very well tell the others what she did to me! And I can't accept her! Even though she seems harmless, she's still a succubus.' He turned and punched the rock, creating a large semi-circular crater. 'And now Kagome knows...' He waited till Kagome caught up with others before following.

Jaken scuttled through the underbrush back to his master. He panted, but had a pleased look on his face.

"I have news! Sesshoumaru-sama!"

"Out with it."

"There is a new woman traveling with the group! And she bears very close resemblance to your worthless brother!"

The youkai raised a brow. "They will make camp soon," he stated with an air of certainty. "I shall investigate for myself at nightfall."

It had been a long day. The group had tackled a troublesome bunch of monkey demons with a leader pumped up by a Shikon shard. The shard was small, but still worth the fight. Houseki had been instrumental in keeping the villagers safe as the others fought.

As the sky darkened, the group found a nice spot outdoors to sleep and made a pot of soba noodles for dinner. They shared stories again this night with their new friend about their journeys and struggles to get all the shards of the Shikon no Tama together. When they spoke of Naraku, Houseki was careful not to ask too many questions; only enough to understand the wrongs these people had suffered at his hands. She dared not tell them that without Naraku's assistance, she would not now be happy.

The girls pulled out their futons and Inuyasha, who was still keeping his distance, wandered off to find a suitable near-by tree. Houseki handed back her blanket to Kagome. When the girl asked her what was wrong she smiled.

"Nothing. I'm just not very comfortable on the ground." Houseki followed her father.

Inuyasha was already perched about 20 feet up in the thick branches of a gingko tree. He grumbled under his breath as he saw her coming.

"Inu Tou-chan?" she called.

"What...?" he muttered.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?"

Without any utterance of the word 'osuwari', the hanyou bailed out of the tree.

"What the hell is wrong with you!? I'm your father, remember!?"

She laughed. "That's not what I meant. I mean can I sleep in the trees like you do?"

He sighed, relieved and climbed back up into the tree. "Do what you will. I don't care."

Houseki leapt up into the neighboring tree and leaned against the trunk. "Oyasumi, Tou-chan."

"Bah." Inuyasha kept one eye open till he was sure that she and Kagome were both sleeping soundly before dozing off himself.


	4. Chapter 4

Last Time:

Houseki leapt up into the neighboring tree and leaned against the trunk. "Oyasumi, Tou-chan."

"Bah." Inuyasha kept one eye open till he was sure that she and Kagome were both sleeping soundly before dozing off himself.

Houseki woke an hour later and tilted her ears towards a foreign sound. Someone was approaching. The others had had such a hard time battling the pesky monkey youkai earlier that they were sound asleep. She looked over to her father.

"Tou-san?" she whispered. 'Good.' Houseki dropped out of the tree and walked silently on her bare feet towards the intruder.

"It's me you want, isn't it?" she asked at a whisper. The butt of a sword came down on her head and she crumpled to the ground.

Houseki woke a short while later and felt the dew on her face. She sat up and noticed the impressive youkai immediately. She ran a hand through her hair and straightened out her short kimono. "If you wanted to get me alone, you could have just asked me out, Sweet-cheeks."

Jaken nearly fell on his face. "How DARE you speak to Sesshoumaru-sama in such a fashion!?"

"Well," Houseki stood up and rubbed the sizable lump on her head. She ignored the toad-like youkai and addressed his master. "Your manners with me were less than chivalrous... so you get what you deserve."

"Who are you that you have the same appearance as Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru demanded.

"Why do I get the feeling you don't like my Tou-chan?"

"Tou... He's your father? How disgusting! I was planning on using you as bait, but now that I, Sesshoumaru, know this fact, I believe I will kill you right now."

Houseki narrowed her eyes. Sesshoumaru raised his only hand, dripping with poison, and made to strike.

"Ah, ah, ahhhh," she scolded. Sesshoumaru froze in place. Houseki beckoned him closer. His eyelids lowered and he obeyed.

"What have you done to Sesshoumaru-sama!?" Jaken cried and wagged his staff at her.

"Buzz off kid, I'm working here." Houseki grabbed the staff of heads and punted the little demon off into the forest. "Now that we're alone, tell me, Sesshoumaru was it? Tell me... that you're a pretty boy."

"Bishounen desu."

She grinned. "That's right." Houseki leaned in and stroked his face. "You sure are pretty..." Their lips met. Houseki pulled back and spat. "UGH! What the hell!?" She observed him for a moment. "Why do you look so good, but taste so bad?" She shrugged. "Oh well. It's been fun, Fluffy, but I gotta hit the road." Houseki pointed to the ground and he sat down on his haunches. "Good boy!" she giggled and turned to rejoin her friends. Standing in her way was a small, human girl of about 6 years of age.

"Why Sesshoumaru-sama sitting like that?" she asked in a very innocent voice.

"He's... Well..." She tried to explain and wondered where the kid came from and how she knew the youkai.

"Is he feel ok?" she asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

Houseki smiled. "He'll be just fine after I leave. Promise."

The little girl held out her hands. "Sesshoumaru-sama gave Rin these." She clutched a dozen brightly-colored ribbons.

"He did?" She asked and eyed the well-cared for long, white hair. "Hey, I got a fun idea!"

Inuyasha woke and noticed Houseki was gone. "Shit..." he grumbled. "Oi, Houseki." When there was no answer, he dropped down and looked around. "Houseki?" He sniffed the air. Miroku, Shippou, Sango, Kirara and Kagome were just a few hundred feet away. He could smell breakfast cooking. His stomach called him towards it, but his heart pulled him the other way. "Musume!?" he called and sniffed deeper. "SHIT! Sesshoumaru!"

Houseki woke and pulled Rin off of her. "Hey kiddo, I gotta go."

"Mmm?" she muttered and rubbed her eyes.

"You take care of that youkai, ok?"

She looked to Sesshoumaru. He was still sitting up, but his hair and tail were covered with a dozen brightly colored bows. Houseki walked over to him and crouched down. "Hey pal. I know you're gonna be pretty steamed when you snap out of my little trance, but I coulda done a hell of a lot worse to ya, trust me." She waved Rin over and motioned for her to crawl into his lap. "You know like I know, that this little one here doesn't stop singing your praises. And I know how unusual it is for a youkai to hang out with a human. So you must really care about her." She flicked a bow with her finger. "Take care, both of you." She smiled, tousled Rin's hair and walked away.

Within moments Sesshoumaru's eyes opened fully and he repressed the urge to scream. He looked down into his lap. Rin had fallen back asleep. He reached up with his only hand and pulled a ribbon from his hair. He untied it with his teeth and tried to tie it in Rin's hair rather unsuccessfully. He sighed and stroked her dirty, messy hair.

Houseki nearly slammed into her father as he came charging towards Sesshoumaru's scent.

"Houseki! You all right!?"

"Yeah..." she shrugged. "Little tired."

"Where is Sesshoumaru!?"

She blinked a little. "Oh, he's probably just snapping out of my little seduction."

"You..." his eyes widened. "You seduced Sesshoumaru!? Holy shit, you didn't.. you know...?"

"Nah. I kissed him, but he tasted funny."

Inuyasha grinned wide. "He ought to, he's your uncle."

"ACH!" she cried and spit and wiped her mouth again.

"Why did he grab you?"

"He wanted to use me as bait."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of him!" Inuyasha tapped the Tetsusaiga and grinned.

"Leave him be. He won't bother you again." She waved and walked back to camp.

Inuyasha sniffed the air. His scent was retreating. Sesshoumaru was leaving the area. He raised a brow.

"Thanks for lookin' out for me, Tou-chan."

Inuyasha slumped his shoulders. "Shit."

A week later, Miroku found the group a nice place to stay at the home of a local aristocrat. Houseki complained of a head ache and found a nice quiet room to lie down in. Dusk fell and Miroku busied himself cleansing the house of evil spirits while Sango and Shippou busied themselves with another task.

Shippou scuttled off around the corner of the hallway in search of Inuyasha and Sango ducked into the room she and the girls and Shippou would spend the night in. Kagome was busy with her social studies homework.

"Hi Kagome-chan. How's your work coming?"

"Slow. I just can't seem to concentrate anymore."

"You're not still thinking about.. what happened, are you?"

"What else," the girl sighed and closed the book. "This sucks, and Inuyasha seems to be drifting away, doesn't he?"

"Well, actually..." Sango grinned. "He asked me to tell you to meet him by the little pond behind the house."

Her eyes went wide. "He did?"

"She wants to meet me where?" Inuyasha asked incredulously.

"By the pond! Hurry! You don't want to stand her up, do you?!" The kitsune pushed at him.

"Well, no.. but... Hey, this smells sorta fishy, Shippou. You sure this isn't your fucked up idea of a joke?"

"I assure you it's not!" he chimed. "Now go or you'll make her sad some more!"

Inuyasha made a face and got up. "Goddamn woman," he muttered to himself as he walked away. "Shoulda left me on that tree... woulda saved her and me the trouble..."

Miroku finished his obligations to the master of the house and wandered off through the halls in search of loose treasure. He poked his head in each un-occupied room he came to, but the guest quarters were inconveniently free of expensive items.

Houseki sat by the light of a small oil lamp and brushed her hair. It wasn't often she got to live more like a human, and she tried to make the best of it. She had her clothes washed and now wore a long kimono with an ornate sakura pattern. Houseki had lied about her head ache. The ache was more figurative. There was something missing in her life. Everything had been wonderful so far: the freedom, her friends. But yet Houseki yearned for something. If she could put her finger on it, she would have used her succubus powers long ago to get it. Whatever it was, she had gone over two millennia without it, so why should she feel so... empty now? Maybe choosing this form had been a mistake. She lifted her hair up to pull out a knot and gasped in horror.

"What the hell!? Why is my hair black!?" She then noticed that her claws were gone, and her ears sat much lower on her head and were... "Human ears! Oh this must be the day I lose my youkai powers like Tou-san said." She sighed in relief but gasped again as the door to her little room slid open suddenly.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I... hello..." Miroku straightened up. "I don't believe I've made your acquaintance." He stepped forward and bowed deeply. "I didn't mean to disturb you, Princess...?"

Houseki blinked a few times and before she called him a dolt for not recognizing her, even without the ears, she noticed the way he regarded her. There was sparkle in his eye, a smoothness to the way he spoke that exhilarated her. Houseki stood and bowed back to him, her silken robes flowing around her. "I am... Tsukiko. You must be the monk who has cleansed or house. I must thank you, Houshi-sama."

"The pleasure is all mine," Miroku crooned. "May I sit with you a while, beautiful princess?"

Houseki covered her mouth to prevent herself from grinning. "Certainly."


	5. Chapter 5

Last Time:

"The pleasure is all mine," Miroku crooned. "May I sit with you a while, beautiful princess?"

Houseki covered her mouth to prevent herself from grinning. "Certainly."

Kagome had almost made up her mind to turn back when she spied Inuyasha coming around the northern side of the pond. His hair was black, but she paid no heed to it. All that mattered was that he wanted to see her. She sat down on a stone bench and waited. He sat at the end of the bench and folded his arms.

"Well?" he demanded.  
"Well what?"  
"Why'd ya drag me out here?"

Kagome clenched her fists. "I KNEW IT. What do they think this is, a sit-com?"

Inuyasha face-vaulted.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I meant situation comedy, not...!"

"I'm SO sure!" he grumbled into the ground.

"I MEAN IT! It's obvious that Sango was just trying to get us to be alone together!"

He sat up and spat grass. "Che."

Kagome sat back down. "Well, she succeeded."

He was silent.

"I know you don't want to talk about it, but I can't deal with this anymore. I need to get it out in the open. You had sex with a youkai and the product was Houseki."

Inuyasha's eye twitched spasmodically. "I didn't have a fucking choice and that youkai IS Houseki."

Kagome turned to face him. His brows were pitched down, but there was a deep sadness in his eyes.

"You didn't have a choice? You mean...?"

"I was ... raped. Yes. There, happy? Can we please never talk about this again?"

"I'm so sorry."

"I don't need your fucking pity." He turned his head.

"What do you need?"

"..."

"..."

"I don't need anyone's pity," he repeated. "This is my problem. This happened to me. And I understand why you look away from me like you do."

Kagome swallowed hard. He had noticed that? She fought back tears. "Inuyasha. Come up here. I want you beside me."

He looked up at her. "You... you do?"

She nodded. He rose slowly, never taking his eyes off of her and sat down beside her. She moved up close to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'll always be here for you, Inuyasha. I just didn't understand." She chuckled. "I thought for a while that you like youkai like that better than humans!"

"Bah! Don't be an idiot, I like you just fine as a human!"

Kagome held her breath. 'Did he just say...?' She was answered when Inuyasha put his arm around her and rested his head against hers. Kagome sighed and closed her eyes.

"I have never seen a vision quite as lovely as you, Tsukiko-sama"

Houseki covered her mouth. "You say that to all the girls!"

"No I don't."

'Yes, you do,' she thought, 'but you can say it to me all you want...'

As the hours slipped away, Houseki tired to get Miroku to leave, but found it hard to bring herself to tell him to go. Even more difficult to tell him the truth. He held her hands and whispered sweet promises to her, just as she had heard him do to a few other girls they had met along the way.

"Tsukiko-hime, would you please bear my child?"

Houseki giggled and bapped him fairly hard on the head with a folded fan. "Oh you're so humorous, Houshi-sama!"

The sky started to lighten. Houseki fidgeted.

"Are you all right?" Miroku asked, her anxiety starting to wear on him.

Thinking fast, Houseki came up with yet another good lie. "I fear we shall be discovered. I must go!" She stood up and he followed.

"Wait, please, fair Princess! I must see you again!"

Houseki gritted her teeth. "In about a month's time, I shall find you." She turned to go but Miroku still held her hand.

"I will be waiting, Tsukiko-hime." His eyelids lowered and he leaned in.

'What's happening to me!?' Houseki thought in panic. 'Does he have my powers!?' She found herself leaning in as well. Their lips touched briefly, sending an shock down Houseki's spine. "I must go!!" she cried and ripped free of the monk. She slid the door open and charged down the hallway just as her youkai powers returned. She ducked into another room and panted.

"Are you ok, Houseki?!" Shippou asked in an alarmed voice. Sango sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Uh.. yeah. I fell asleep in another room and forgot where I was for a moment." She quickly changed out of the robe and back into her kimono shirt and shorts. She had just gotten into her futon when Miroku opened the door.

"Good morning!" he cried, surprised. "What's everyone doing up so early?"

"This place is weird," Shippou muttered and curled back into a ball at Sango's side. She too shrugged and went back to sleep. Houseki squeezed her eyes shut and curled up. Miroku shrugged, sat against a wall and dozed off wondering where Kagome and Inuyasha were, but mostly thinking about his Princess.

Inuyasha blinked as his head nodded forward again. He sighed. He didn't want to fall asleep, but it was nearly dawn and Kagome had fallen asleep against his shoulder hours ago. Inuyasha smiled sweetly at her as she breathed deeply in sleep. He held her right shoulder with his right hand. The light grew brighter and his youkai power returned. Inuyasha frowned as he watched his claws grow back.

In the following weeks, they fought lesser youkai and saved villagers here and there, but did nothing to further either of their causes. More than once, a pretty village girl who Miroku was talking to would suddenly wander off and become amorous with the nearest domesticated animal. Houseki would whistle, badly, and try not to laugh as her little tricks left everyone confused.

Yet whenever Houseki had occasion to speak to the monk, the fire that had been in his eyes was gone. She pined for that fire, and wished that the next month would come sooner.

A month later the group found themselves close to the ocean. They hadn't seen Sesshoumaru or Naraku in quite some time. Even though their quest was unburdened by their interference, they hadn't captured a single shard. Inuyasha feared that Naraku was beating them to them, but Kagome looked to her collection and tried her best to assure him that they were very close to completing it.

"Then Naraku probably has the rest of them!" he shouted and walked ahead.

Kagome sighed. Sango raised a brow.

"What's eating him? Didn't you guys make up?"

"I have no idea..." the Miko stopped and glared at Sango. "How do you know we made up?"

She laughed nervously. "Wild guess?" They walked on. "Is it because it's close to his... 'time of the month'?" she asked.

"Maybe. I dunno. He's just anxious because nothing's been happening!"

"Yeah, I guess he needs to get his aggression out on something, huh?"

"No," Kagome shook her head. "It's not so much that. He's nervous, just like I am. Because we haven't seen more shards, or Naraku, and because we're so close to the end." She broke off and stared at the ground. Sango nodded and walked with her in silence.

Houseki overheard their conversation and kept her mouth shut. She was lost in thought.

That evening, they made camp on the beach and roasted crabs and fish that Inuyasha and Sango caught over the fire. After eating, Houseki excused herself.

She found a secluded dune and sat down. Before she lost her powers, Houseki closed her eyes and beckoned Miroku to come to her. In moments, her powers faded. Miroku rounded the bend and slid down the side of dune.

"Tsukiko-hime!" he cheered. "It's you, my flower!"

Houseki opened her arms and smiled wide.

Sango watched Miroku go and frowned. She pondered his strange behavior so deeply that she didn't hear Kagome ask her if she was all right.

"Oh! I'm sorry... It's just.. Oh nothing."

All Kagome had to do was shoot Inuyasha a look.

He rolled his eyes. "Shippou. You wanted to learn how to fish, right?"

"Yeah!"

"Then come on."

They walked down the beach and Inuyasha attempted to show the kitsune how to dig for clams and avoid being stung by jellyfish.

"What is it, Sango-chan? You've seemed troubled recently."

"Please don't laugh, but... I have... feelings for Miroku."

Kagome's eyes widened. "You...do?"

Sango nodded. "But he looks right through me, except to try something sleazy, but that's not the same. That's not how I want him to feel about me... I mean.. not YET."

"I understand."

"But ever since Houseki showed up, he's been... weird."

Kagome suddenly realized that Miroku and Houseki were missing. She knew by the way Sango bit her lip that she had noticed the same thing.

"Well, have you mentioned your feelings to him?"

"NO!" she cried. "Have you told Inuyasha how you feel about HIM!?"

Kagome turned red. "Not really. Sorry. I should practice what I preach, ne?"

Sango said no more. She stared into the firelight and hugged Kirara tightly to her.

Under the stars, Miroku and Houseki in her ningen form kissed passionately. Miroku stroked her face and looked into her eyes. "I think I'm falling in love with you, my mysterious Princess."

Houseki hugged him tightly. "And I you, Sweet Monk." She realized too late what she had called him, but he didn't seem to pick up on it. They kissed again, but Miroku pulled away. 'Oh no! He's realized who I am!' she thought. He held her face in his shielded hand.

"Taisetsuna hito, I wonder, why have you never asked me about my hand?"

"..." she blinked and smiled. "I assume it's a scar or something. Whatever it is doesn't matter to me."

"I must admit to you, I'm a freak."

Houseki put her finger to his lips. "It doesn't matter to me. I'm a freak, too."

"No you're not, Tsukiko. You're perfect!"

Houseki turned away rather than show the disappointment that shadowed her face. "I see. You don't love me."

Miroku turned her shoulders back to face him and smiled. She couldn't bring herself to tell him.

She wrapped her arms around him. "All right. Just hold me... till the sun comes up."

Inuyasha woke early the next morning. He strolled down the beach a ways and stripped his clothes off. The water was a little cold, but refreshing. He collected a good bunch of muscles and more fish for breakfast. Kagome had expressed an interest in muscles the night before and he was certain that he would delight her by remembering them.

He dressed in all but his fire-rat coat, using it to carry the crustaceans, and headed back. Before he got too far, he noticed Houseki coming up over a dune. She waved to him and jogged towards him.

"Oi, Houseki. Where have you been all night?" he asked with a wink and a nudge.

She looked out at the crashing waves. "Tou-san, I need to take off for a while... on my own." He opened his mouth, but she cut him off. "Please don't ask why, Tou-chan, I'd rather not talk about it. I'll keep my eyes peeled for Shikon shards and I'll meet up with you all again... someday." Houseki looked into her father's eyes. "Tell Kagome, Shippou and Sango I said good bye... and thank you."

She turned and walked down the beach to the south.

Inuyasha knitted his brows. His daughter was leaving? But he had just gotten used to her, only just began to accept her as a member of the group and as a friend. He scowled. "Matte, Houseki!" he shouted coarsely. She stopped and looked back over her shoulder. Her eyes were watery and soft. "...Where will you go?"

"Where my heart leads me."

"Miroku, why?" Kagome asked, astounded.

"I just need some time to myself," he explained. "Please do not think for a moment that I will stop in my quest to find Naraku and destroy him." The monk trained his eyes on Kagome's. She nodded solemnly. "Please say good-bye to Inuyasha for me." Miroku put his pack over his shoulder and walked off to the north.

Sango sat with slumped shoulders and watched him walked away. She hung her head. Kagome came up behind her. "Well, are you going to just let him get away?"

She stood up. "I suppose not." She smiled and picked up Kirara. "Kagome-chan, could you take care of Kirara for a while. I'll be back soon."

"On one condition," she took the youkai-cat from her friend. "That you don't come back alone!"

"I promise. You behave, Kirara." Sango kissed her cat good-bye and waved to Kagome and Shippou as she followed the path Miroku had taken.

Inuyasha strolled up and held out his bunch of muscles, dripping through the fiber of his coat. "I got you muscles, Kagome."

There was no response. Kagome and Shippou were looking off to the north.

"Hey, where's Sango going?"

"She's leaving us!" Shippou wailed.

"Her too?!" he shouted.

"What do you mean, her too?" Kagome asked.

"Houseki just took off." The shocked look on Kagome's face surprised him. He shrugged, but Kagome could tell this upset him.

Shippou continued to cry. "Then it's just us now! You're not going to leave too, are you Kagome?!"

"No, no, Shippou, of course not."

"What the hell is he talking about?"

"Miroku's left too. And I think it has to do with Houseki."

Inuyasha sighed melodramatically. There was an awkward pause.

Kagome raised a brow. "Inuyasha, whatcha got that's dripping in your shirt?"

"Muscles."

"Oh yay!" she cheered. "You remembered!"

They had a quiet breakfast. There were more than enough muscles to go around, but Inuyasha hardly ate that morning at all.

Houseki wandered far off to the south, stopping only to rest a bit and to bathe at a hot spring. She removed her clothes and eased into the wonderful water. Her cares floated away as she leaned against a rock and cleared her mind. She knew now exactly what she wanted, but still had no idea how to get it.

She COULD just use her powers on some poor unsuspecting individual, but she had felt what empty love was like and decided that kind of pain was not worth the fleeting pleasure.

"What am I worried about," she grumbled to herself. "I've got another 500 years or so to find this... love thing." Houseki made a face and submerged under the water to clean her hair. 'I hate waiting!' she thought.

When she emerged, she shook the water from her hair and ears and sighed. When she opened her eyes, she caught a glimpse of something moving in the bushed just across the way. Houseki reached underwater and picked up a good sized rock. She hurled it as fast as she could at the bushes. It made a resounding 'clonk' as it met its target. A tallish youkai stood bolt upright and started openly at her, one hand on the lump on his head.

Houseki stood up out of the water and struck a pose. "Like what you see, Etchi?"

The demon's eyes went as wide as saucers and he bolted off faster than any living thing she had ever seen. Houseki laughed herself silly and flopped back into the water.

"Aw..." she thought out loud. "He was sorta cute. Shit."

Miroku waved his hand over a small baby, held outstretched in its mother's arms. The mother smiled and thanked him, and he continued on down the street.

'I better find a paying gig soon,' he thought as his stomach rumbled. A scream from just up ahead made his eyes light up. "Bingo!"

Miroku ran towards the sound. Up on the left, a small shop suddenly exploded. A huge, demented-looking toad netsuke growled. A man's legs stuck out of it's wooden lips, but not for long. With another gulp, the possessed netsuke swallowed him whole. Miroku assessed the situation and pulled a talisman from his gown.

"Evil be gone!" he shouted and sent the paper flying towards it's target. It fried to a cinder on impact. The toad noticed this and stomped out of the remains of the shop. His glassy eyes were focused on the monk.

'I can't very well suck the netsuke up into the void,' he thought in a panic. 'I'd suck the shop-keeper up too!' The toad lurched forward and Miroku stepped back. "Everyone, stop staring and get away from here!" 'I must think of SOMETHING!'

"Hiraikotsu!!!"

Miroku spun to see the boomerang whiz by and sever the demonic toad in half. Its head floated for a moment before crashing to the ground beside it.

Sango charged up beside him. "Now! Houshi-sama! Use the talisman!"

"Right!" Miroku threw out another, this time it did the trick. The netsuke returned to it's small, wooden form and the shop-keeper was dazed, but alive.

"Sango..." Miroku finished attending to the damage and finally turned his attention to her. He held a tiny sliver of the Shikon no Tama, found tucked inside the remains of the netsuke between his fingers. "Where are the others?"

She adjusted her boomerang and fidgeted. "I'm alone. I guess we're headed in the same direction."

He paused, but nodded his head. "I suppose so. Thank you for your help. I guess we make a pretty good team." He put the shard away and held up a small bag of coins. From this he poured out half and handed them to her.

She smiled. "I guess so."

They walked to the next town to see what help they could bring there.


	6. Chapter 6

Last Time:

They walked to the next town to see what help they could bring there.

Kagome's arrow arched gracefully through the air and met it's target: a fleeing crane youkai. The shard dropped out of it's beak and into Shippou's hand as he leapt up in the air to grab it.

"Yatta!" he cheered.

"Don't celebrate yet!" Kagome warned. "Inuyasha's still got his hands full!"

They both turned and watched as the hanyou burst through the abdomen of the huge pelican that had only just a moment ago swallowed him whole. The Tetsusaiga sung as it slashed through the flesh. He tumbled to the ground and grinned.

"I told ya I'd give ya the heartburn of your life!" The demon moaned, but still came at him. "Don't know when to quit, eh?!" Inuyasha raised the sword, and in one final move, eliminated the massive bird.

"Yatta!" Shippou cried again and ran over to him with the shard. "We did it!"

"Good job Inuyasha!" Kagome cheered and ran over as well. She slowed down and held her nose. "Woof! What did that bird have to eat!?"

"Huh?"

"You STINK!"

"Well SORRRRY!" He folded his arms, bile and stomach acid dripped from his sleeves.

Kagome pointed to a nearby lake. "You! Bath! Now!"

Inuyasha raised a defensive brow.

"Osu..." Kagome threatened.

"All right, all right. Sheesh. Ya could say PLEASE."

"It's hygiene, Inuyasha. That's a basic courtesy!"

He mimicked her as he walked away. Shippou tagged along.

Inuyasha had to jump in fully dressed to get the filth off. He dove under water and swam out a few yards before surfacing. Shippou folded his little arms.

"Inuyasha, why are you still so mean to Kagome?"

He stopped swimming and glared at the kitsune. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Just now, I saw the faces you were making, that was mean!"

"Che," he snorted. "She didn't see it."

"What if she did?"

"..." Inuyasha dove back under the water. 'I wouldn't have made those faces TO HER FACE. She would have been upset,' he thought. 'Why is this brat so interested in this subject anyway?' He surfaced. "Oi, Shippou. Why do you... Shippou?" Inuyasha looked around, but the kitsune was gone. He got out of the water. "Shippou?! Stupid kid with his stupid tricks. If this is one of your ideas to try and get Kagome and me together, better think again, little fox!"

He tromped around and decided that there was no ruse. Shippou was gone. Inuyasha went on guard, but too late. He walked into the trap.

"Kagome and you will never be together... Inuyasha."

He spun around. Lying propped up against a tree was Shippou and standing just in front of him was the undead Miko herself.

"Kikyo!"

"Inuyasha? Shippou?" Kagome called. When there was no answer, she walked towards the lake. Almost immediately, she felt the evil aura. 'Oh no! They're in trouble!' she fretted. She didn't have to concentrate. Kagome could see the shimmering outline of the force field very clearly. She balled her fists and walked through.

Inuyasha and Shippou lay against the trunk of a tree. "Guys!" she called, but didn't take another step. She lurched forward, but her feet were held fast to the ground.

"It's just too easy," a voice cooed from behind. A voice she knew too well.

"Kikyo!"

Her ancestor walked around her and observed as Kagome struggled against her spell. 'She's gotten stronger,' she thought. 'I must make this quick!'

"You let them go!"

"I will not. Inuyasha must die."

"Why do you have to do this?! You love Inuyasha."

"I hate him. All that is left for me is hatred. If he lives, I cannot be free."

"I.. won't.. let you!" Kagome took a step towards Kikyo, who was obviously shocked to see her fight.

"If you won't be a good girl and sit still, I'll just have to take my soul back!" she cried and reeled back her hand. Kikyo thrust her arm up to the wrist into Kagome's chest. The girl screamed. It was searing hot, but no blood issued forth. Kagome panicked, but her eyes fell on Inuyasha and she rallied. "I won't let you!" she shouted and raised her own hand.

Kikyo cried out as Kagome's hand pierced her chest. She didn't know at first what to do, but soon her instincts took over. Her aura glowed blue like Kikyo's and her mind trained itself to search for the soul.

"No!"

"Yes!" Kagome shouted. "Kikyo! Give me back the rest of my soul! You must rest! This battle is over. If you are me and I am you, you must see that I am right. I love Inuyasha and I will not let you take him from me!!!"

Kikyo's hold on Kagome's soul slipped a little and Kagome took the opportunity to wrap her fingers around what she felt inside her chest. She pulled out a glowing, blue orb and Kikyo's aura began to fade.

"You.. truly.. are.. me..." she whispered. "Take care of him... Kagome." Kikyo's hand slipped out. A translucent image of Kikyo floated up and the clay-doll body she had been living in fell to the ground at Kagome's feet, shattering into a hundred pieces. Kagome looked down, still in full Miko mode and observed the whole in her chest. She filled it with the blue orb: Kikyo's soul, and it sealed back up again, leaving nothing but a tear in her blouse. Kikyo's ghost, freed of its material form floated over to the tree and kissed Inuyasha on the lips before disseminating on the breeze like smoke. Kagome smiled and passed out.

More than a day later, Kagome opened her eyes. The light of a single candle danced across the walls of a small room. A warm, purring at her side told her she was safe. Kirara looked up and meowed in greeting. Kagome moaned lightly and instantly, a figure appeared at her side.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"How ya feelin'?"

"...Weak." Kagome saw the light flickering in his eyes. She closed hers again.

"Kagome?"

"I'm all right. Are you?"

He nodded. "I think I know what happened..." the way he said it was like a question. As if to say, 'I want to know what happened, but I really don't.'

"Did you see the clay doll?"

He nodded.

"Then you know what happened. She's gone. Well, at rest, I should say."

He swallowed hard. Had she always spoken so well? Did she have more of Kikyo in her now? Would she be different from now on?

"Inuyasha, could you get me a glass of water?"

He did so and returned moments later. Kagome could not sit up on her own, but he helped her. She took one sip and lay back down.

"Inuyasha... please don't leave the room while I'm asleep."

"I haven't."

She smiled and realized that his hand covered hers.

"I couldn't do anything..." he whispered.

She turned her hand over and clutched his. "It's ok. It was my turn to save YOU."

Shippou, who was watching from the doorway, sighed with relief.

Houseki closed her eyes and felt the warmth of the sun on her eyelids. Soft clouds drifted by. She had been alone for almost a month now and had only just come to terms with her loneliness. Everywhere she went humans fled from her and demons threatened her. She had killed nearly a dozen or so of these lesser youkai and been glad each time that she no longer needed to eat them to survive.

To her right, she heard a rustling in the undergrowth. Her ear swiveled to catch the sound. Her stalker was closing in. She had only caught glimpses of him since that first time when she was bathing. This time, she decided that she'd feign sleep and see what happened.

Houseki's eyelids cooled down as his shadow appeared over her. She could tell he was leaning in close. Her heart raced with excitement. She popped her eyes open and smiled. "Hi there!"

"Bwa!" shocked, the stalker made to run away, but Houseki held him fast by an ankle.

"I don't think so, Pal. You're going to tell me who you are why the hell you're following me around, right now!"

The youkai stuttered. "B..b..b.. baka! I'm Kouga!" Houseki let him go and he stood and glared down at her. She lay on her side and propped her head in her hand.

"Nice to meet you."

"What are you talking about?! You know me!"

"I do not," she chuckled, growing amused at this wolf-youkai's confusion.

"Inuyasha, I'm not stupid!"

Houseki cracked up. "Oh yes you are! Have you noticed that I'm female?"

"Yes!" he shouted back. "Are you... under a curse or something?"

She laughed again. "No. I'm Houseki. Inuyasha's daughter."

He blinked a few times. "Ohhhhhh..."

Houseki stood. "So that's why you've been stalking me? Cause you thought I was my tou-chan? Poo. And here I was thinking you thought I was attractive."

"Well..." Kouga cocked his head to the side. "I kinda thought you weren't him, cause you smell good."

Houseki blinked.

"And you've got a hell of a body."

She was speechless. "I... do? I mean, you think I do?"

"Yeah! Well, I gotta go. Sorry I bugged you so much." Kouga turned and ran off into the woods.

He stopped by a clearing and leaned up against a tree. 'Damn! I'm so stupid! What the hell was that?! 'you've got a hell of a body!?' Arg!!!' Kouga was lost in self-flagellation, but he did hear the rustling of leaves just to his right.

"Who's there?"

Houseki stepped out of the bushes and made a silly face. "Mind if I follow YOU around for a while?"

Kouga grinned back, relieved. "Why the hell not?"

The bazaar was crowded with shoppers who wound their way slowly through the congested arteries, full of food, trinkets and dry-goods of all kinds. Miroku ignored the barking of the merchants, his eyes trained to pick out worthless merchandise. 'It's not worth half what they ask, yet the ask it,' he thought, 'only to be haggled down.' He mused on this and watched Sango as she examined a bauble here, a silk garment there. He had thwarted more than a few pick-pockets already and was growing tired of the noise. Miroku caught up with Sango, hoping to convince her to get out of the mess and find some place quiet to sit for a while.

"Oh it's beautiful!" she cried as she examined a gold and jade bracelet from China. "I only wish I could afford it, thank you!" she smiled at the merchant who immediately turned his attention to the next customer.

"Sango, are you thirsty?"

"A little..."

"Do me a favor, and find a table at that inn over there." He indicated to a sign just up ahead.

"All... right..." Sango frowned, but went ahead. She was a little tired. Early that morning they had put to rest an evil spirit in the house of a local lord. It had been quite an ordeal and they both could use a rest.

At the inn, Sango found a table and ordered some food and drink for the both of them. Their earnings from that morning's work were substantial and would surely get them through the fortnight at inns across the land.

Miroku found Sango and thanked her for getting them a table and food. Before she could take a bite of her dumplings, Miroku extended his cloaked hand. In it was a small bundle, wrapped in a sheer, silk scarf.

She looked at him strangely, but took the package. Inside was the jade and gold bracelet. The first thought that entered her mind was that he had acquired it through illicit means. Sango made a face and handed it back to him. "I can't..."

He pouted. "You think I stole it, don't you?"

The hurt look on his face made her gasp.

"I bought it with some of the money from this morning because I saw you eyeing it earlier." Miroku pushed it back towards her. "I could have given you a mountain of treasure by now, but I know you wouldn't accept it."

"Miroku." She nodded and put the bracelet on. "It's wonderful. Thank you."

A few hours later, they retired to their room. Sango and Miroku stood side by side in the entry way and looked in. There was but one futon on the floor.

"I guess the hostess must have thought..." Sango started.

"It's all right, it's not like I haven't slept sitting up before."

Sango wanted to protest but stopped herself. She put her pack in the corner and told him to turn around as she removed her exterminator's garb from under her kimono. To her shock, he didn't turn around once. She got into bed and tried to go to sleep. It was only mid afternoon, but being up since just before dawn had done it's damage. She stared up at the ceiling. "Miroku, are you all right?"

He raised a brow. "Yes, why do you ask?"

"You've just been behaving strangely since we split from the others."

"How so?" he asked, also unable to sleep, no matter how tired he was.

"Well..." she blushed. "You haven't tried anything with me."

"..."

"I mean.. you know! To me that says something about you has changed."

Miroku slumped his shoulders. "I should tell you the truth." And he did.

Sango hugged her knees. "So Houseki tricked you?"

"Yes, but I fell in love with her... as a human. Why didn't I love her as a hanyou? Am I that shallow? Can I trust my feelings about anyone?"

She hid her smile. "Miroku. Come here."

"...!"

"You can sleep in the bed with me, it's all right."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded and he slowly crawled under the covers beside her. His heart rate doubled as she snuggled in. "It sounds like you've learned something from the experience," she murmured. "But you ought not to push your feelings aside just because you've been hurt once." Sango nearly held her breath, but it worked. Miroku brought his good hand up and touched her shoulder.

"Sango," he whispered.

She looked up into his eyes and like magnets, the two were drawn together.


	7. Chapter 7

Last Time:

She looked up into his eyes and like magnets, the two were drawn together.

For the first time she could think of, Kagome didn't want to go home. She trudged from the shrine to her house, hoping that Inuyasha would burst through at any moment and snatch her up. She knew that he wouldn't. They needed some time apart after the Kikyo incident.

She told her family about most of what had happened. They were very excited to hear that Kikyo had been put to rest, but when Kagome didn't seem as happy about it as they were, an awkward silence fell over the dinner table.

Kagome played with her noodles. "I wish that my friends could come here and live with us so we wouldn't have to go through this."

"Oh, but Sweetheart," he mother advised. "Your little fox demon friend would probably have a tough time of it."

"I suppose..." she sighed.

Kagome's grandfather cleared his throat. "He would be fine. No one would pay any attention at all."

"Whaddaya mean, Grampa?" Souta asked.

"Today people do not believe. They see only science and facts. Sometimes life doesn't have anything to do with either, but we've grown blind to these things, that although they may be true, cannot be explained with scientific fact."

Kagome was only half listening as he grandfather went on about modern people's spirituality. She knew she had to go to school and take a test she might very well fail the following morning, but she couldn't concentrate on anything. As soon as possible, she would go back. Kagome then vowed to herself, that although she loved her family very much and had responsibilities at school, she wouldn't come back home till it was over.

Miroku and Sango entered the village just around noontime. They found Kaede busy with a sick patient and happily waited for her in her house.

"Do you think she'll know where the others are?" Sango asked.

"I hope so. I don't really want to trek around the whole island looking for them."

Sango rubbed her thumbs, something Miroku knew she only did when she was nervous.

"It's ok. We'll be back together with Inuyasha and the others soon." He hugged her. "I bet you can't wait to see Kirara again..."

"It's not that!" she shouted, her voice tinged with anxiety. "We MUST destroy Naraku!"

Miroku was shocked. He held her hands. "Sango.. are you all right?"

Just then, Kaede entered the house and greeted her friends. Sango dropped the subject and put a happy face on. Miroku worried, but did the same.

"It is good to see you again, Houshi-sama and Sango-san. I heard you went off by yourselves."

"Then.." Sango clutched at her kimono, nervously. "You've heard from Inuyasha and the others?"

"Of course. I saw Kagome just the other week. She went home for a few days. She had much to tell me."

Sango sighed. "So they must be nearby?"

"I wouldn't think so. Like I said, that was nearly a week ago."

Miroku watched Sango carefully. Her behavior worried him.

Inuyasha sniffed the ground. "I don't know, Kagome. Are you SURE you felt a shard?"

"Not just A shard... a whole bunch, or a really big one... It seems to be moving South."

"I don't like the sound of that!" Shippou cried.

"Me either, kiddo, but we have to find it."

Inuyasha frowned, but followed where she lead.

Soon, they realized they were in familiar territory. A look was all they needed to communicate. Just ahead was the God Tree Inuyasha had been bound to for fifty years.

"Man, I really hate this. Kagome, are you SURE?"

"Yes. It's very close."

"So's Naraku I bet!" Shippou gritted his teeth.

Kagome sweat a little. "Let's hope not."

Inuyasha smacked his neck. "Must be safe, Myoga-jiji's here."

"Inuyasha-sama! How can you say such things about me!"

"Whatever. What's up? Any news about Naraku?"

"That's just why I'm here, I have to warn you!..."

Kagome straightened up. "It's coming this way." She pulled an arrow out of her quiver and prepared herself. Inuyasha trained his ears on the approaching beast. It was massive. It lumbered through the trees and staggered into the clearing.

"SHINKON NO TAMA!" it wailed. It was nearly 60 feet tall and covered with dark, greasy hair. Horns sprouted from it head and too many sharp teeth protruded from its mouth.

"Kagome, stay the hell back!"

She didn't answer him. He knew she wouldn't listen.

Myoga jumped off onto Kirara. "Inuyasha-sama! Be careful! I came to tell you Naraku is headed this way with a huge demon!"

"It's a little late to warn us!" Inuyasha leapt up and slashed the oni across the eyes with his claws, narrowly missing being slashed apart himself by the creature's huge paw. It screamed in pain and charged forward. Inuyasha took out the Tetsusaiga and raised it over his head.

"Ok, you ugly bastard, this is it!" He slashed once and the demon exploded, emitting a thick, yellow smoke. Inuyasha was knocked off his feet. He tumbled a few times before catching himself. The demon was gone. "Kagome!" he coughed. "You ok?"

"I think so...?" she shook her head. "Uhnnn..." She rubbed her eyes, which were watering from the smoke. "What was in that thing...? Inuyasha?" She looked around, but couldn't see him anywhere. A flash of white in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Kagome turned and turned again, as more and more of these things appeared. "Inuyasha!" she called, but there was no answer. She stumbled, but kept her hands on her bow and arrow, ready to strike at any time.

Inuyasha looked to Kagome but stopped dead. Kagome was wearing a Miko's clothes. Or was she? He rubbed his eyes. A voice whispered in his ear 'over here' and he turned around quickly. There she was behind him. Was it Kagome... or...

"You're dead!" he shouted. "Stop haunting me!" The figure only smiled. Then there was another one. This time close to the God Tree. He ran after it, only to have it disappear before he could touch it. "What the hell's going on!?"

"Inuyasha don't just sit there, do something!" Shippou berated a stump. "Why aren't you listening to me?"

Kirara chased her tails in endless circles.

Kagome turned and faced the God Tree and finally saw one of the white streaks standing still. "It's Naraku!" she shouted. "Die you bastard!!!" Kagome stretched her arrow taught and let it fly.

From just outside the clearing, Naraku laughed and blew another powder into the air. The arrow hit it's mark and the powder neutralized the effects of the hallucinogen. Kagome lowered her bow slowly.

Inuyasha had a very confused look on his face. He clutched the arrow and looked up into Kagome's eyes. "Why...?" he asked, but before she could answer, his eyes closed and his head slumped forward.

"INUYASHA!!!" she screamed and ran towards him. A hand reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back with incredible force. She shrieked and hit at the person with her free hand, pushing back the disguise. Naraku laughed and snatched the Shikon shards from around her neck. "Thank you so much, Kagome. You really have been quite helpful."

"You... you..." she stuttered.

"Kagome!!!" Shippou screamed as he watched what was happening.

"RUN SHIPPOU!"

He didn't protest. He knew there was nothing he could do. "Come on Kirara!" The cat transformed and flew them far away.

Kagome wept as she struggled in Naraku's grip. He sneered and licked the side of her face. "I heard you killed Kikyo."

She didn't respond. Her eyes were trained on Inuyasha.

"Hm. I have a little punishment set up for you, Miko." Naraku carried her, kicking and fighting over to the well.

'He's sending me home?' she wondered.

Naraku passed his free hand over the well, casting a spell over it. "Have fun in whatever time you end up in, and know for the rest of your days... that I WON."

"What!? No!!!" she screamed as he threw her down the well.


	8. Chapter 8

Last Time: Naraku passed his free hand over the well, casting a spell over it. "Have fun in whatever time you end up in, and know for the rest of your days... that I WON."

"What!? No!!!" she screamed as he threw her down the well.

Kagome came to in the bottom of the well. She heard murmuring voices and sat up. She held her head. "What... what happened?"

Cautiously, she clawed her way out of the well. It was a bright, sunny afternoon and the sun poured in through the shrine's door. "How did I get home?" she wondered and stepped out into the sunshine.

The visitors to the shrine were dressed in traditional Japanese kimono, and many of the men were dressed in strange, western-style suits. There were two white foreigners in the crowd. She turned and looked towards her house. It wasn't there. The shrine was the same, only the wood it was made from was still very blond and new.

"That's weird..." she thought.

"Can I help you?" a young priest asked her. He was tall and dressed just as her grandfather dressed.

"Um, no. I just need to use the well again." She smiled politely and jumped back down.

Kamiya Kaoru rang the bell and prayed to her ancestors. She spied the collection box and grimaced. 'I feel so bad, not being able to contribute, but since we've fallen on such rough times, I can't afford to give anything away. I wish there was something I could do that doesn't involve money. Maybe I can perform a charitable act,' she thought. Kaoru got up and went to find the priest.

Kagome landed on her butt and made a face. "What the...?" She suddenly realized that the Shikon shards were gone. "Oh my god! I'm trapped!" she cried. "What happened?! Where's Inuyasha!?"

"Excuse me, Miss?" a voice called down. "Could you please come out of the scared well?"

She sniffed, but agreed and climbed out. "Excuse me, but could you tell me when I am?"

"Well you're... when?"

Kagome nodded.

"About 3:30 in the afternoon..."

"No, what year please?"

The priest looked on her with pity. "Poor dear, she's mad! This is 1877."

Kagome moaned. "Well, at least I have another hundred twenty something years before I have to take another test..."

"Do you have a home I should send you to?"

"Not for a while..." she moped. "It's over there where those wisteria bushes are."

A young woman approached them. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help but over hear. If you'd like, you could stay with us!"

The priest brightened. "You would do that, Kamiya-san?"

"Sure. I got enough nutjobs hanging out already.. what's one more!" she smiled. When Kagome sighed she changed her tone. "What I mean is I have a big house you can stay at with lots of cool people to talk to until you get your bearings. Whaddaya say?" Kaoru smiled again.

"Sure. Why not."

"I'm Kamiya Kaoru. What's your name?"

"Higurashi Kagome."

The priest looked at her. "I'm Higurashi Junichiro, how strange!"

"Heh," she laughed. "Not to me, it isn't"

Kirara streaked across the sky. Shippou cried and tried not to look back.

"Kirara! We must find your Sango and the others!" Myoga advised her. The demon cat growled and dove down. "Where are you going!?" the flea screamed.

She hit the ground and dropped Shippou as she transformed.

"Hey! wait!" Shippou called after her as she ran into Kaede's house. The kitsune was overjoyed to see his friends and even happier that Myoga could tell them the story while Sango held him in her arms and shushed him.

"This is terrible," Miroku repeated.

"What can be done if we have lost the Tama?" Kaede wondered.

"We must do something." Sango stared at the floor as she stroked Shippou. She held him like a baby. Tears still glistened on her cheeks. Shippou was falling asleep. "I cannot give up."

"Sango..." Miroku watched her carefully. Something about his love had changed. She was so intense and sad recently, going on about Naraku like that... He wanted to kill him if only to make her smile again. "If only we knew where Houseki was..."

"Who's Houseki?" Myoga asked. They gave him the short story and decided that he should take Kirara and search Houseki out. He left after admonishing them that they should wait till he got back before investigating the scene.

After lunch Kagome helped Kaoru mop the floors. Kaoru had protested, feeling that it wouldn't be charity work if she had her guest doing chores, but Kagome insisted. She was given a Kimono to wear for modesty's sake. A man and a boy walked into the enclosure and greeted them.

"Kagome-chan, this is Himura Kenshin and Myojin Yahiko. They stay here too. Guys, this is Higurashi Kagome. She'll be staying with us for a while."

They had brought back tofu and vegetables from the market and all sat down to lunch.

"Don't get too spoiled, Kagome," Yahiko warned. "Kenshin's the only good cook around here."

He was promptly whacked over the head with a mallet. "Watch it, brat."

"It's true, your cooking sucks!"

"Guys, it's ok," Kenshin tried vainly to stop them.

Kagome just laughed. "You remind me of..." she stopped and looked down at her half-eaten rice ball.

The fight stopped. "Of who, Kagome-chan?" Kaoru asked.

"My friends. I have no idea if they're even alive right now."

"Where are they?" Yahiko asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Kenshin wondered what secrets she held. Kaoru pouted but noticed something. "Hey, looks like we have visitors."

Standing in the entry way to the dojo grounds, reading the sign which read "Kamiya Dojo" was Sango and Miroku.

"Guys!!!" Kagome yelled and jumped up. Miroku dropped his staff and embraced her. "I was so worried! What happened!?"

Sango gasped. "You mean you don't know?"

She shook her head. "I don't remember." Kagome looked at Sango strangely. Not only was she wearing her hair up, but she was clutching a bundle to her chest. "You didn't...?"

"No!" Sango blushed and showed her that the 'baby' was only Shippou. He stuck his tongue out. "We had a bit of a scuffle with the temple priest."

"Ah..."

"You really don't remember?" Miroku asked.

"Not a thing. All I know is that my shards are gone. Where is Inuyasha?"

They looked at each other.

"Never mind. I don't want to know. Not yet. Let me be ignorant for a little while longer."

"Myoga's gone to look for Houseki."

"So there's still hope?" she asked.

Miroku nodded. "I wish I'd listened to Myoga. Maybe combined we could..."

Sango shook her head, discouraging him from speaking on the subject further.

"I'm sorry, Kagome. I guess there'll be plenty of time for that later."

She nodded. "Well, come here. This nice woman Kaoru is letting me stay here. Maybe we all can stay." They were introduced and Kaoru gladly accepted them into her house.

Kirara streaked across the sky with her nearly invisible passenger. Myoga sat just under her left ear and gave directions.

"I had heard that a woman who looked like Inuyasha had been spotted in the south, but I'm afraid that's all I have to go on. Can you detect her, Kirara?"

The youkai roared in response.

"Good, good! Then to the wolves we go!"

Kagome and the others sat down to dinner that night with their new friends. Although they were exhausted, they tried their best to stay awake through the meal. A tall man with the character for "evil" on the back of his shirt joined them.

"Good evening, Sano," Kenshin said as he saw his friend approach.

"You must smell free food!" Kaoru scolded.

"Jo-chan, do you really think I'm like that?"  
Yahiko made a face. "She KNOWS you're like that."

Miroku reached into his pack and pulled out a small bag as Sano gave Yahiko a noogie. "I want to repay you for your hospitality, Kamiya-san. I hope this will suffice."

Kaoru blinked as she opened the bag, revealing the ancient coins. "Are you sure? These are Ryoo."

"I know." Miroku nodded.

Kagome whispered to him. "Maybe you should give her half for now. In my time, the Ryoo is worth almost 10 times what's it's worth in the Sengoku Jidai. I'm sure it's pretty valuable today too."

"Aa..." He sweatdropped. It was too late, but their stay was secured indefinitely.

As they ate, Sango's "baby" became restless.

"Shippou, please. Be still!" she hissed.

"I'm starving!" he hissed back.

"Shippou? That's an odd name for a baby." Kaoru leaned in to get a better look at him and Sango put him up against her shoulder.

"Well, he's an odd baby!" she laughed.

Sanosuke snarfed down another rice ball and said something with his mouth open about how much tofu one could buy with just one of the dozens of Ryoo Miroku gave Kaoru.

"That's it! I can't take it!" Shippou hissed and leapt out of Sango's arms.

"Shippou, no!!" his friends yelled in unison.

He grabbed a bunch of rice balls and started cramming them in his mouth. Kaoru, Kenshin and Yahiko watched, stunned, but Sanosuke leapt up and pointed. He was as pale as his shirt and shaking.

The others gasped and waited for a reaction.

"Yuh yuh yuh..." Sano stuttered. "YOUKAI!!!!"

Kenshin, Kaoru and Yahiko looked at him funny.

"Well, he's a pretty ugly baby, but that's not a very nice thing to say, Sanosuke!" Kaoru scolded.

"I am not ugly!" Shippou barked back, rice flying out of his mouth.

All four Edo-period people leapt up and screamed.

"It's ok! It's ok!!" Kagome tried to assure them. She got them calmed down and explained that yes, Shippou was a fox-youkai and no, he was harmless.

"He's going to eat us in our sleep!" Sano cried, still unable to cope with his existence.

"No I'm not, you silly ningen!" Shippou promptly turned into a pink balloon-thing and the poor man made a Sano-shaped hole in the wall as he ran away.

"Don't you think it's strange," Sango asked Miroku, "That the tall one saw him right away, but the others didn't?"

Miroku sipped his tea. "Hm. Perhaps the others are experiencing some kind of block that makes them unable to see the super-natural."

"How strange," she commented and sipped her own tea.

The next morning, Houseki snuggled in next to Kouga and smiled. It was a chilly morning, but their cave was dry and warm. She never thought that such simple living could be so wonderful. He kissed the nape of her neck and she fell back to sleep.

A nagging, pinching feeling woke Houseki only a few hours later. She sat up and smacked her face.

"Oyaho gozaimasu, Houseki-sama!" a tiny voice cried as the flea fluttered down from her hand.

"Good morning? Who are you?"

"I am Inuyasha's retainer, Myoga the Flea, and I've come to seek your immediate help!"

"What's wrong?" she asked, very seriously. Kouga was drowsy but as Myoga revealed the details of what had happened, they both sprang into action.

The area around the well was desolate. Houseki smelled that Miroku, Sango, Shippou and Kagome had been there recently, as well as Naraku. She wrinkled her nose. Kouga nodded.

"Myoga, go back to the village. This isn't going to be pretty."

"If you insist, Houseki-sama."

Kouga saved his comments about Myoga's cowardice, because he sensed Naraku's presence. They walked cautiously towards the God Tree.

"I really don't want to see him, Kouga," she said, referring to her father.

"I know." He held her hand.

"About time," an unmistakable voice intoned. "The stragglers have shown up."

"Naraku!" Kouga shouted and pounced.

"Kouga, no!"

It was too late, Naraku struck him down easily, picked him up by the neck and began so squeeze. "You owe me a favor, my dear," the hanyou hissed to Houseki.

"I owe you NOTHING. I spared your life. Let Kouga go!"

"That's not the way I work," he sneered and squeezed tighter.

"What do you want!?" Houseki screamed.

"Cooperation. You do me a little favor and I'll consider letting you live. I really have nothing against you, Succubus. If you go through that well and kill Miroku, Sango and Kagome, I will leave you alone."

"Fuck no."

He raised a brow. "Every bit your Father's daughter, aren't you? Too bad he's dead."

Houseki growled and prepared to launch herself at him. Her claws clicked together.

"Hou..ski..." Kouga croaked. With everything he had left, he threw a small bag at her. She caught it: Kagome's collection of Shikon shards.

"What!?" Naraku yelled and dropped Kouga. Houseki thought fast and ran for the God Tree.


	9. Chapter 9

Last Time: "What!?" Naraku yelled and dropped Kouga. Houseki thought fast and ran for the God Tree.

Kaoru took Sango and Miroku to town to spend some of their money. Shippou and Yahiko hung out inside the dojo, exchanging stories about fights and the men they considered heroes. Kagome found a bow and arrows and set about a little target practice.

She drew the bow. 'We're trapped here.' She took aim. 'The shards are gone, most likely they're in Naraku's hands.' Her eyes narrowed. 'And I have no idea how that has come to be,' Kagome burned the bull's eye into her brain, 'or if Inuyasha is alive or...' She let loose the arrow and dropped the bow. It hit dead on. She ran out of the complex, followed at a safe distance by Himura Kenshin.

Kagome ran past the shrine and charged into the forest, gasping for breath. Her tears streamed across her face and she wished she had her bicycle. She came around the back side of the God Tree and stood in front of it, ashen and shocked.

"Oh my god, INUYASHA!!!"

The tree was almost completely covered in vines and lichen; much how it looked in her time, only she could just see his face, a foot and a hand poking out from under the growth. The arrow was mostly disintegrated, but it's glow was obvious to her eyes.

It all came back to her: the poisonous gas, Naraku, the well. It was all his doing, but SHE had killed Inuyasha. Kagome wept at the base of the tree and tried to think of what to do.

Her concentration was interrupted by voices. She turned her head to see a group of people move into the clearing.

"And here we have the famous 'Spirit Tree'", Kagome's ancestor, the priest told the group. "On which it's said a demon was impaled and imprisoned here many centuries ago."

"Ooooohhh..."

Kagome blinked from them to the tree and back again a few times. "You mean, you can't see him!?"

The tourists muttered to themselves.

She stood up. "I'm the one who did it! Yeah! It was me."

"Please, cousin, don't make a scene," the Higurashi priest tried to quiet her.

"You mean you really don't see him!?!"

"See who, cousin?"

"Inuyasha!"

The group laughed at her and moved on to the next sight on their tour. She slumped back down the ground. A shadow appeared above her.

"What do you see, Kenshin?" she asked him.

He squinted, but replied, "I see a tree."

"I must be crazy..."

Kenshin helped her to her feet and they turned back for home. Just as they were leaving the clearing, Kagome's senses perked up. She spun around and looked to the tree. There was an intense glow coming from its trunk.

"That wasn't there a second ago!" she shouted and ran back to the tree.

Houseki climbed up her father's body and tried in vain to pull the arrow out. Naraku was closing in fast. She remembered that when she had taken the shards into her body, she had gained a great deal of power. If she could just get these into his body... In a panic, Houseki popped the bag into Inuyasha's right ear.

"Wake up, Tou-chan!" she shouted. Naraku grabbed her leg and pulled her down.

Kagome clamored up the tree till she got up to his head. Under a leaf, stuffed into his right ear was her bag of Shikon shards. Kagome pulled it out and stared at Inuyasha's face. "How did...?" she wondered. She rubbed the ear and caressed the exposed side of his face. It was still soft, as if he were only sleeping.

"Well, if I did it before, I can do it again!" she cheered and grasped the arrow. It exploded in a burst of light. The vines that covered him shriveled and turned to dust. The two of them fell to the ground.

Inuyasha shook his head slowly. "Uhnnn..." he moaned. Directly underneath him, Kagome did the same. "Kagome!"

"Inuyasha!"

His face darkened. "Why did you...?"

'Oh my God, he thinks I killed him!' she thought as he heart rose into her throat. One word explained it all. "Naraku."Once she saw the relief in his eyes, she threw her arms around him.

Kenshin cleared his throat. Kagome threw Inuyasha off of her and giggled. "Kenshin, this is Inuyasha. Inuyasha, Himura Kenshin."

"Where's Naraku?!" he growled.

"Take it easy, we're about 300 years away from him right now. Let me go get the others and we'll all go get him!"

"Wait, what?!"

"Just hang tight, Kenshin will keep you company! Be right back!"

Kenshin shrugged and smiled.

"Do YOU know what the hell she's talking about?"

"Not really. So... You're a youkai, right?"

His eye twitched. "Half. Half youkai."

"I'm terribly sorry."

Inuyasha walked away. Kenshin followed. The hanyou noticed the shrine around the well and the strange surroundings and began to understand just how much time had passed. He stretched a bit the sat down. Kenshin joined him.

"What?"

"Oh nothing. It's just not every day I get to speak with living mythology."

"Whatever," he scoffed.

"You know, that Kagome is a very nice girl."

Inuyasha raised a brow.

"I have someone similar. Tough, strong, stubborn, yet sweet and beautiful."

Inuyasha put his head in his hand. "Yeah. Stubborn mostly. I keep trying to protect her, but I just can't if she won't stay the hell out of danger!"

"Mmm," Kenshin plucked a tall piece of grass and pulled the seeds out one by one. "And I don't want to offend her, because she wants to be able to protect herself..."

"But one more tough scrape like that one..."

"You may not be able to save her?"

"Right."

"You know. I've been through some tough scrapes, and every time it comes out all right, I tell myself that I'm going to tell her."

"Tell her...?"

"How much I love her." Kenshin rolled a grass seed between his thumb and fingers. "Because I'm not sure I'll get a chance the next time."

A light breeze blew their hair and the stray seeds around. "Shit." Inuyasha watched the seeds scatter and waited for Kagome to return.

Miroku, Shippou and Sango were elated to find Inuyasha alive. They jogged towards the well past a few tourists whispering to themselves about the strange young man with the dog ears.

Kagome thanked Kenshin for he and Kaoru's hospitality. Sango, Shippou and Miroku jumped into the well and Kenshin waved as he walked back home.

"Come on, Inuyasha!" Kagome called.

"Chotto," he whispered. "It's gonna be crazy when we get back there."

"I know."

"Without the Tetsusaiga, I don't know how good I'm gonna be against Naraku."

"I'm sure you'll..."

"No." Inuyasha cut her off. "What I'm saying is I don't know if I can make it through this, so I need to tell you..."

Kagome's heart just about stopped. "Tell me what?"

He cursed again and tried not to look into her eyes. It was no use. "I love you."

Kagome's shoulders relaxed. She cocked her head to the side. He blushed crimson. Kagome walked up to him. He panicked, thinking she was going to be the one to kiss him, and not the other way around, but she stretched her arms out.

To his surprise, she lifted the prayer beads from around his neck and wound them around her arm. "You haven't needed these for a while," she whispered and smiled.

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her close to him and kissed her deeply. "Come on," he said as they came up for air. "Let's go."

"Inuyasha...?" Kagome turned to him just before she jumped into the well.

"Mmm?"

"I love you too."

When they jumped down and joined the others Kagome could feel the air change, meaning the well was working. Sango, Miroku and Shippou stared at Kagome and Inuyasha as if trying to see if they looked different. They all noticed the beads.

"What!?" the both cried.

The others pretended to whistle and mind their own business.

Their levity came to an abrupt end as they climbed out of the well. Inuyasha sniffed the air.

"Blood," he said and followed his nose.

"Ugh! Over here!" Sango cried as she stepped into a pool of it.

Inuyasha sniffed. "Houseki!"

Miroku furrowed his brows. "Then Myoga did find her."

Sniff sniff "... and... Kouga?"

"That's odd." Kagome looked around for signs of a fight. There were plenty of broken boughs and footprints everywhere. The tall grass was pressed down in many places.

"Maybe he was helping out," Shippou suggested.

"Che, I doubt it."

"Unless he's in love with Houseki," Miroku mumbled.

"Naraku has to be around here somewhere." Kagome narrowed her eyes. "I can feel him."

"If he's hurt Houseki," Inuyasha snarled as he gnashed his teeth. "I'm gonna rip off his head and shit down his neck."

Just at the northern edge of the clearing, some leaves rustled, making the whole group turn. Standing by a tree, wearing a blood-soaked kimono shirt was Houseki.

"Houseki!" Inuyasha called to his daughter, but Kagome held him back.

"Don't. She's absolutely studded with Shikon shards," she warned.

Miroku urged Sango and Shippou to get behind him and backed away from the inevitable confrontation. Sango did not move to use her boomerang.

Houseki's eyes didn't seem to focus on anything. She raised a hand and bared her claws. In a sudden and shocking gesture, she raked her claws across her own chest.

"Houseki!?" Inuyasha shouted, knowing he couldn't get through to her. 'Naraku must have her under his power!' he thought.

Without even so much as a change in facial expression, Houseki raised her arm, dripping with her own blood.

"Hijin Ketsusou!!!" she screamed and threw the razor-like blood at her father.

Inuyasha was stunned. He leapt out of the way just late enough to get caught by some of the sharp slashes of blood. His right sleeve slit open and hung loosely. He bared his fangs. 'What can I do!?' he thought in a panic. 'I can't hurt her, but if I don't do something...' he jumped back as she slashed at him again. '...She may hurt me! Those shards are making her crazy strong!' He jumped up into the branches of a tree and looked around for an idea. "Kagome, get the hell out of here!" he shouted.

"No! I won't leave you!"

"Don't be stupid!" he yelled, but was cut short as he fled the trees from Houseki's advances. She snarled and clawed at him. They faced each other on the ground. Her eyes were narrowed and smoldered with false hate. "Houseki, snap out of it!" Inuyasha shouted. "You don't want to hurt us. Naraku is controlling you," he growled.

As if on cue, Naraku cackled from his hiding place. "How right you are."

"Yarou! This is the last fucking straw!" Inuyasha tried to leap over Houseki to get to Naraku, but she caught him and gave him four deep gashes in his abdomen. He was forced to turn his attention back to his daughter.

"I don't wanna do this, butcha leave me no choice!" he shouted and punched her square in the face. Houseki leaned backwards, but stayed on her feet. She straightened up and grinned. Blood dripped from the cut Inuyasha's knuckles had made on her cheek.

'Damnit!' he thought. 'I'm doing damage, but those shards and his spell on her just keep her going!' "I'm sorry, Houseki-chan. I really don't wanna do this!" Inuyasha pushed his feelings aside and fought with only the desire to protect his friends. He landed punch after punch, each time praying that she would just fall down. Houseki backed up as she took each blow. They were getting closer to Naraku, who watched with great amusement.

"I thought you might be a match for her, even with the shard advantage, but I took this into consideration," he commented idly. "I could have made her a full Youkai, but what fun would that have been...?" Naraku reached into his white, baboon fur-disguise and removed the Tetsusaiga. "When she could fight you with your own sword!"

"Wha...?" Inuyasha blinked. Houseki back-flipped away from him and gracefully took the blade from Naraku. It transformed and hummed as she slashed at the air with it. Houseki screamed and charged her father.

He dodged as best he could, but she was fast. Soon, he was backing up against the tree-line. Inuyasha pulled the scabbard out of his belt and protected himself from a strike that surely would have killed him.

"Houseki!" Kagome shouted. "Stop it!!" Her pleas fell on deaf ears. Miroku gnashed his teeth in frustration. Sango and Shippou hugged each other.

"Kagome..." a voice to her left made Kagome jump.

"Kouga!"

He was dragging himself out of the bushes. His face was black and blue and one of his legs appeared to be horribly broken. He was pulling a quiver and a bow behind him.

Kagome nodded and jogged over to him.

Houseki reached around with her bare foot at pulled one of Inuyasha's legs out from under him. He crashed to the ground. Houseki pressed down with the fang. He could hear the scabbard start to crack. "Houseki... come on, please snap out of it! It's me! Inuyasha!"

"Inu..." she said in a grave, unfamiliar voice. "...Tou-chan?" She blinked her eyes. They focused. "Tou-chan help me. Kill me before I kill everyone!" she hissed.

Inuyasha was astounded, but he didn't relax. Houseki's eyes went milky again and she reverted to Naraku's power. She snarled and leaned down harder against the scabbard.

"Houseki!" Kagome shouted again. She raised her bow and took aim. She made sure the girl saw her before she let the arrow fly.

Houseki screamed in pain as the arrow dislodged a Shikon shard from her spine.

"Bingo!" Kagome cheered and readied another arrow. Houseki dropped the Tetsusaiga and turned her attention on a new target.

"Kagome, look out!" her friends cried from the sidelines.

"Wha..? She looked up and saw the hanyou, bloodied and savage, charging towards her. She froze in place. 'Oh no, I'm going to die...' Kagome thought.

"Houseki!!!" Inuyasha shouted. He grabbed his sword. It became the fang again. 'No time!' he thought, and threw the blade at his daughter.

Houseki stopped her pursuit only a few feet from her target. The tip of the Tetsusaiga pierced the front of her kimono. She fell forward. Kagome had to step back to get out of the way. When she hit the ground, they could see the sword shrink back to it's normal state and fall slowly out of the oversized wound. She started to get back up, but almost as quickly as she had gone down, a swarm of Naraku's bees were upon her, removing the Shikon shards which were keeping her going.

Crazed, Inuyasha rushed forward, scaring Kagome. He pulled the sword out of his daughter's back and ran at full speed towards Naraku.

"Naraku!!!!" he screamed and using the full power of his father's blade, leveled half the forest. He rushed to where he had last seen Naraku. The white, baboon disguise floated down and landed on the ground. It was unharmed. 'No. He got away... again.' Inuyasha stood there in disbelief for a few moments.

Kagome fell into a sitting position and stared at Houseki. Miroku and the others rushed over to help. Kagome couldn't speak to tell them, but they tried to help her anyway. She saw the wounds that had opened up after the shards were removed. She saw the huge puddle of blood that was quickly inching towards her. She could feel the life force fade away. Inuyasha ran back and scooped Houseki up. He urged them to follow as soon as possible and bounded off through the woods towards Kaede's village.

Sango and Miroku stood with their arms around each other and watched the sun set. Kirara and Myoga hung close by. Shippou helped Kagome tend to Kouga's wounds. He was healing, albeit slowly. Kouga and Inuyasha watched the door to Kaede's hut with unblinking eyes.

Finally, the crone emerged. She bowed her head and shook it slowly. Inuyasha slumped his shoulders.

"No!" Kouga leapt up from the ground, nearly knocking Kagome over and bounded into the room. He slowed as he saw her. Houseki's face was ashen. Her eyes were closed and he mouth hung open a little. Kaede had done her best to close the many lacerations their battle with Naraku had caused. Kouga fell to his knees and gently pulled her body into his lap. He cradled her and kissed her, whispering a secret farewell.

Inuyasha watched from the doorway. Miroku had guessed right. Kouga had fallen in love with her. The wolf youkai laid her back down respectfully and left the room. He met Inuyasha's eyes briefly. The hanyou had to look away, the pain in them was too great.

Kouga walked out of the village and into the coming night, alone.

Inuyasha spent only a few moments in the house before he too emerged and walked off in another direction.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered.

"Just... gimme a while..." he whispered back and walked into the woods in the direction of the God Tree.


	10. Chapter 10

Last Time: "Just... gimme a while..." he whispered back and walked into the woods in the direction of the God Tree.

The sky darkened. The humidity increased and made everyone uncomfortable. Preparations for the funeral were made in haste in fear of rain. Everyone did their best to help. Kagome started to get worried as twilight set it and headed out where she knew he would be.

A few drops fell as she neared the God Tree. Inuyasha looked up into its branches and let the rain that escaped its leaves cool his face.

"I hate this," he said at an almost imperceptible volume.

Kagome took his hand and guided him into her embrace. Inuyasha broke down and wept against her shoulder.

Kaede and Miroku said prayers as the funeral pyre was lit. The flames soon obscured the figure of their friend: the strange girl they hardly got to know. Kagome threw flowers into the fire. Inuyasha stepped forward.

"I..." he began, the smoke getting in his eyes. "I want to say I'm sorry... that I killed Houseki..."

There was a general outcry of his friends telling him that it wasn't his fault, blaming Naraku and praising him for saving Kagome.

"And I'm sorry I didn't get the bastard... AGAIN!" he shouted.

Sango hid her tears as she wept into Miroku's robe. He stoked her hair with his shielded hand. The group went silent. No one was looking as a strange expression befell the young monk's face. He slid out of Sango's arms and excused himself.

"Ningen funerals are so sad!" Shippou sniffed and hugged Kagome.

"I know, Shippou."

Miroku walked a few paces away and put his back to the group. 'I must be going crazy...' he thought as he massaged his hand. It felt... different. He quietly unwrapped the beads from the shield and cautiously peeled back the leather.

Inuyasha fought his tears. He dug his claws into his palms. "I swear to you, Houseki! I will kill Naraku! For you, for Kikyo! For the people I care about who I WILL NOT LOSE!!!"

"Um... Inuyasha?!" Miroku shouted in an anxious tone. Everyone raised a brow and looked in his direction. He held both hands in the air. "I think you got him!!"

His palm was solid. His void was gone.

Sango put her hands to her mouth. "Miroku!"

He laughed and ran to her. Miroku picked Sango up and spun her around. "Can you believe it!? He must be dead! My curse is lifted!!!"

"I... I did it!?" Inuyasha stuttered.

Myoga jumped up and down on Kirara's back. "I knew you could do it, Inuyasha-sama!!"

Sango gushed. "I'm so happy!! My people have been avenged and there's nothing to worry about now!"

Miroku sighed. "Are you going to be happy from now on? You've been so miserable lately..."

"Yes! We're all going to be happy! My baby won't be a cursed orphan!"

"Yes, your... WHAT!?!"

"Baby!?" Inuyasha cried.

"Sango!?" Kagome shouted.

"And MIROKU!?!" Shippou exclaimed.

"Eh, I knew it was bound to happen," Kaede grinned.

Sango's smile faded. "I only wish this was a time for joy."

They sobered and silently agreed to hold off on the victory celebration till the following morning.

Under the light of a nearly full moon, Kouga stood high atop a bluff overlooking a valley and a lazy, winding river. He didn't bother to wipe the tears from his face as he howled at the moon. Exhausted from running all the way back to his territory without the aid of Shikon shards, he dropped to a seated position and watched the clouds obscure the moonlight and darken the valley.

A voice he only thought he heard soothed him.

"Kouga..." she whispered.

"I miss you," he breathed in reply.

He thought he felt arms encircle him. He looked down, but didn't see the white, soft hands clasped together across his chest, like she used to do when he was day dreaming.

"I'm older than any youkai..." she began, " and as essential as water. I am Desire."

Kouga's eyes unfocused as he listened to the voice.

"I am Yuuwakusha the Seductress, Houseki the Hanyou and much more. I will exist so long as people need each other. Now I fully understand that need which I create, for I too have felt it as a mortal feels it. I have loved and hated, been loved and rejected. I've known friendship and rivalry, life and death. All is motivated by one force which until now I had no real understanding of...: love."

The hands released him, a soft sensation like a warm breeze brushed his ear. "Though you may not see me, I shall always be beside you, Kouga. Thank you, my love." Houseki smiled behind him for a moment then drifted away on the cool evening breeze in a flutter of ash and tears.

Inuyasha tried not to get his hopes up. Every time someone would make a comment about how wonderful it was to finally be rid of Naraku he would shrug or walk away. It was just too good to be true.

He and Kagome went to the God Tree early in the morning to investigate the scene. There was the baboon disguise, an exorbitant amount of dried blood, arrows and amazingly, an abundance of Shikon shards.

"I can't believe they're just lying here!" Kagome shouted as she picked them up.

"It must be a trap," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Would you lighten up already! We got the bad guy!" she shook his shoulders and looked up at him with a huge, genki grin. "It's ok. Celebrate!"

"In time."

Kagome shrugged and continued to collect shards. "Wow. I'd say we have them all!"

"Impossible," he spat.

"Well, we have mine, Naraku's and Kouga gave me his two. We've been searching with no luck for others for a long time now, maybe we do have them all!" she cheered.

"If we do..." he started.

"If we do... then it's over." Her smile fell. They walked back to the village in silence.

Kaede rubbed her chin. "There is only one way to tell if all the shards are here."

"Count them?" Shippou asked playing with them.

"No, child. We must fuse them together."

"Is that possible?" Miroku raised a brow.

"We do have a first-rate Miko in our presence. A few hours of concentration should do the trick."

Kagome sweat a little. "Hours?" She thought of taking tests that lasted hours and started to get nauseous.

"I'll help you."

Kagome was sequestered for the rest of the morning and much of the afternoon in Kaede's house. She clutched the shards, both large and small in her hands. Kagome glowed a faint blue when she finally started to get the hang of what Kaede instructed her to do, and soon was lost in the trance necessary to bind the fragments together.

Inuyasha sat just outside the house and guarded her. He watched the villagers come and go, nodding his head as they bowed to him in appreciation. They all knew what he and his friends had done.

As the hours slipped by, Inuyasha fought with boredom and the desire to check in on Kagome. He had been told not to interrupt her trance, but he just wanted to make certain she was all right. Something was making him nervous. Perhaps it was the idea of having the Tama in one place. He remembered how it had been for Kikyo and ground his teeth. There was no way in hell anything was going to happen to Kagome. He would die first and then pursue the offender from the grave.

'Wow,' he thought. 'It could be over. If that jewel is whole, our job is done. She can go home...' this last thought bothered him to no end. 'But the Shikon no Tama will still attract evil. It must be destroyed!'

He recalled the recent conversation with Kaede. She had mentioned that if he chose to use the Tama to transform into either a human or a full youkai, the jewel would be used up completely. If he were to become human, he would be good. If he became a youkai he would be evil. Such was the nature of the battle ensuing inside the Jewel of the Four Souls.

Inuyasha looked up at the pale, blue sky and smiled. "That's it then," he said out loud to no one in particular.

In the distance, a strange flash of white caught his eye. His heart rose up into his throat and he strained to see the person walking between the rice paddies.

"What the fuck?..." he whispered and remained seated. "What the fuck does HE want?" Inuyasha grumbled. When he got within a few hundred feet, Inuyasha walked calmly towards him. Both men stopped and stared at each other.

"Whadaya want?" he snarled.

Sesshoumaru cocked his head to the side in mock concern. "The Great Sesshoumaru comes to the court of his hanyou brother and gets treated so?"

"Out with it. I don't trust ya as far as I can throw ya."

Sesshoumaru was unmoved. "I have heard that Naraku is no more."

Inuyasha smirked. "You got it right."

He raised a brow. "I must say I am angered that it was not I, Sesshoumaru who had the pleasure of eliminating him."

'What the hell is he up to!?' Inuyasha wondered.

"I also assume you will be attempting to collect all the shards of the Shikon no Tama?"

"You mean I WILL collect them all."

"You know I will fight you for them. Your battle is not over with the death of Naraku."

"Yeah it is."

Again he raised a brow, but said nothing.

"Don't worry, Bro. I'll be leaving soon. You'll never see me or the Tetsusaiga again." He wanted to add that he would be taking the Jewel, but decided not to incite a fight right here with Kagome so vulnerable.

"I see..." Sesshoumaru mused. "In that case, good riddance." Before he turned and walked away, Sesshoumaru did something shocking: he bowed his head - only just slightly - but he did it. Inuyasha nodded back.

"You too."

Only a few minutes after he disappeared, Kagome emerged from the house with Kaede behind her. She grinned sleepily.

"Well?!" he asked. She jogged over to him and presented the Shikon no Tama, just as it looked when first they met nearly three years ago.

The celebration was long, loud and joyous. At its commencement, Miroku and Sango were married. They would stay with the others for another night, but decided they would leave the following morning to begin a search for Sango's brother, Kohaku who must surely have been freed of Naraku's spell. Kagome took dozens of Polaroid photos. Kaede was even coerced to take one of the group. Sango pleaded with Kagome to let her have it, and the girl agreed on the condition that it would be destroyed before she died to protect the future.

Inuyasha pulled Kagome aside as the party went on behind them. He kissed her roughly and held her close.

"Inuyasha..." she began, blushing.

"I need to talk to you." He sat down and pulled her down with him. She played with his prayer beads which now hung around her neck.

"What's up?" she asked.

"What do you want to do?"

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

"We have to use up the Shikon no Tama some how, but I need to know what you want to do. Do you want to stay here or go home?"

She bit her lip. "Well, If I go home... well what do you want to do?!"

"Nononononono. You. You tell me."

She slumped her shoulders and looked at the ground. "I want to go home."

"Can I come with you?"

Kagome looked up into his soft, yellow eyes. "Of course! Oh, but I don't think it'll be easy for you, I mean, being a half-demon in the 21st century.. what with the scientists and ..."

"Nononono!" he laughed. "I want to use up the Tama. We'll go to your time and I'll become human."

Kagome was in shock. He just repeated exactly what she had been hoping he would say, almost word for word. She embraced him and smothered him with kisses.

"There you are! Oh!" Shippou gawked at them. He shook his head a few times and grabbed Inuyasha's sleeve. "Come on you party poopers!" The little kitsune tugged and got them to rejoin the party.

The festivities lasted well into the morning hours and after a sound sleep, the seekers of the Shikon no Tama parted ways.

Epilogue

3:10 PM Tuesday April 14th 2012, Tokyo.

The doorbell rang. Mrs. Higurashi answered. "Hello?"

"Hello, is Higurashi Kagome at home?" asked a twenty-something young man. A woman stood at his side clutching a package tied up with brown paper.

"She's just getting back from the shrine, would you like to come in?"

They were escorted inside and seated in the living room. Mrs. Higurashi went to get tea. The visitors looked around the room and waited. They muttered to themselves about the old, rusty-looking sword hanging on the far wall in a place of honor.

From upstairs they heard a commotion and a child's laughter.

"Come back here you little demon!" a young man's voice shouted in a playful tone. A red ball bounced down the stairs. A young boy appeared at the top and looked surprised and a little scared to see strangers in his house. His hair was white.

"Souta, make sure he doesn't fall down the stairs!" another man's voice called.

"I'm on top of it!" Souta scooped him up and noticed the strangers. "Oh, hi! Are you waiting for someone?"

They stood and greeted him, announcing again who they were there to see. Souta introduced his little friend. "This is my nephew, Yousuke. Say hi, kiddo."

The boy hid behind him. They laughed.

"My sister should be here any second."

They nodded and were about to ask about the old sword on the wall when a young woman dressed in full Priestess attire rounded the corner. The boy beamed and ran to her.

"Mama!"

Kagome put her hand on his head and gawked at the strangers.

"Hello," the man smiled pleasantly and began. "You must be Kagome."

She nodded, unable to speak. Her son noticed her unease and watched the strangers, trying to see what his mother saw. Usually when there was bad energy or evil about, he could feel it too. Yousuke clutched her gown and furrowed his little brows.

"My name is..." the man began.

"Miroku!!!" Kagome shouted at last. She pointed at them in disbelief. "Miroku and Sango!"

A commotion was heard from upstairs. A man with short, black hair appeared at the top. "Kagome!? What's going on!?" He too looked where she was pointing. "Holy shit!"

He leapt over the banister and landed with a thud. "It CAN'T be!"

The strangers looked warily at each other. "Well, those ARE our names... but how did you know them?"

"You're not Miroku..." the man asserted. "The voice is too high."

"Then... who are you?!" Kagome kept a hand on her boy. Souta looked confused.

"I'm Honda Miroku, this is my sister, Sango. We've come to deliver this to you."

Sango extended her arms and handed the Priestess the package. "It has been handed down in our family for countless generations. We were instructed to give it to a woman named Higurashi Kagome in the spring of the year 2012." Her voice trembled a bit in anticipation.

Yousuke was picked up by his father and watched his mother like a hawk. Kagome took it, asked them to have seats and opened the wrapping. Inside was a worn, ancient book. On the cover it read: Inuyasha - Sengoku O Togi Zoushi.

"What...?" Kagome grinned in disbelief and opened the cover. "Dear friends, we miss you more than can be said, but have decided to allow you to miss us less," she read the introduction. "Herein please find the details of our lives and the story you have given us: the story of Inuyasha and the quest for the Shikon no Tama as told by those who experienced it. You will be in our hearts always. Love to you Kagome and Inuyasha, from Sango, Miroku and Shippou!"

"Please!" Honda Miroku begged. "We've lived with this tale all our lives. Tell us. Is this... real? Was there really a fox demon named Shippou? Was there really an Inuyasha!?

"Che." Inuyasha grinned and adjusted his son on his hip. "You're lookin' at him."

"Is this true?" Sango squinted. "You don't look like Inuyasha..." Her brother flipped to a page with an illustration.

"Oh my god! Look!" Kagome pointed. "It's my Polaroid!"

The watercolor rendition even had the proper white border. Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippou, Miroku and Sango were depicted fairly well in the crude painting. Her sailor-fuku was a little misrepresented, but it was close.

The Honda siblings were in shock. "So this all really happened!? You are that Kagome and Inuyasha!?"

"Uh huh," Inuyasha smirked. "But... those days of action and adventure are over now..." He gave his son a light noogie.

"Thank goodness!" Kagome added.

The strangers talked into the evening and by the time they left, they were friends.

Kagome and her husband Inuyasha said goodnight to the Hondas, agreeing to meet a week later and put their son to bed.

"Mama, Papa," Yousuke whispered. "If Papa is a hanyou am I a hanyou too?"

They gave each other a glance. Inuyasha kissed him on the forehead. "We'll talk about it tomorrow. It's past your bed time."

The five year old wrapped himself tightly in his comforter and dreamt of chasing demons with his parents.

And so it went for many more happy years. It would be another decade before action and adventure paid a visit to the Higurashi Shrine... but that's another story.

A/N: YAY! It's completed! Hope you liked it. I enjoyed putting this up. I would've appreciated it more if people would've reviewed and let me know if they liked it. 723 hits and...11 reviews? How unfair. Special thanks to: Engelmohr2004, bankotsu'chic, and The Girl From The Depth Of Hel, they were the only ones that reviewed. Especially The Girl From The Depth Of Hel. Last Note: THERE WILL NOT BE A SEQUEL. DO NOT ASK.


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